


Taste of a Poison Paradise

by MissJanjie



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race (US) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, F/F, Lesbian AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:35:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissJanjie/pseuds/MissJanjie
Summary: Life at Jackie Cox’s strip club, Poison Paradise, isn't just lapdances and g-strings. There's enough drama, lust, and heartache to rival any soap opera. None of the girls know what to expect on any given shift, especially while navigating their torrid, complicated relationships.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Denali Foxx/Rosé, Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, Jackie Cox/Jaida Essence Hall, Lemon/Priyanka (Drag Race), Nicky Doll/Jan Sport, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo/Kameron Michaels
Comments: 45
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

Lemon let out a whiny groan as her alarm went off. Unlike the average alarm, hers was set to 6:30 at night, leaving her just enough time to get up and ready for her shift. She sat up and looked over, then gave Priyanka’s shoulder a light shove. “Rise and shine,” she mumbled as she got out of bed and grabbed the lingerie she’d laid out that morning and covered it with sweats and Priyanka’s flannel shirt. 

“Every day I have to wake up and participate in society,” Priyanka lamented as she got out of bed. Her uniform consisted of a simple black t-shirt and jeans, making her routine much shorter than Lemon’s, who had to get all dolled up. “Gonna make coffee,” she decided, shuffling into the kitchen. 

While Priyanka was making coffee, Jan came out of the other bedroom. “We carpooling tonight, Pri?” she asked, propping her elbows up on the counter and resting her chin on her hands.

“Yeah, if y’all aren’t planning on hanging out once the shift ends,” she answered, a slight stiffness in her tone. “Can’t stick around.”

Jan knew she needn’t say anything else. “Gotcha,” she nodded before grabbing her sweatshirt off the couch. 

The three of them arrived at the club and clocked in on time, much like they always did. Priyanka went to get her station set up while Jan and Lemon joined the other girls in the dressing room to finish their makeup. 

“Brooke Lynn told me she’s bringing in a friend of hers tonight,” Vanessa remarked as she swiped highlighter along her cheek. “Met at a convention or some shit in France and this is her welcoming celebration ‘cause she just moved out here.” 

“Rich _and_ French?” Jan’s brow quirked with interest and she strummed her fingers together, acting as if she were ‘scheming’. “Damn, I’m glad I just got my hair done.” 

“But what if she tips you in euros?” Gigi chuckled. 

“Actually,” Jaida chimed in, “the euro is worth like, twenty percent more than the dollar. So, it’d be a better gig if she did.” She tilted her head when the rest of the girls looked at her with either surprised or perplexed expressions. “What? I can know shit too.” 

Jackie poked her head into the dressing room, then leaned against the doorframe. “I come in and you guys are talking about economics? I never cease to be amazed at this place. Anyway, just letting all of you know that the new security guard is starting tonight. I expect you all to be nice to her.” 

“We’re _always_ nice,” Jan cooed and batted her lashes. “Aren’t we, girls?” 

“Speak for yourself, I’ve got an image to maintain,” Lemon retorted. 

Just as Jackie was about to turn and leave, she heard footsteps and turned around. “Oh good, Kameron, you’re here. Come say hi to the girls,” she said, excitedly gesturing her over. 

A muscled, tattooed blonde made her way over, stopping just a step into the dressing room. She seemed very aware of all the eyes on her, and perhaps a bit shy because of it. “Hey,” she greeted with an awkward wave. 

Jackie went down the line introducing the girls. “This is Lemon, Jan, Gigi, Jaida, and Vanessa. Don’t worry, they don’t bite.”

“ _I_ make no promises,” Vanessa chimed in, twirling her hair around her finger as she looked Kameron over. 

Jaida chuckled and tapped Vanessa’s thigh. “Down, girl. Sit. Stay.” Then she looked back up and warned Kameron, “Vanjie likes blondes.”

“Behave,” Jackie jokingly chastised, though she knew it would fall on deaf ears. “I’m gonna go get Kameron set up out front,” she said before the two of them left. 

Once they’d left, Gigi leaned over to talk to Vanessa. “How’s your girlfriend gonna feel about you giving bedroom eyes to the new recruit, huh?”

“Relax, I just looked at her, not like I tried to eat her pussy or somethin’,” she retorted. “And you can’t say shit about girlfriends when your ass can’t even ask Crystal out on a date.” She got a chorus of ‘ _ooooh_ ’ from the other girls at that and made Gigi turn red.

### 

“Gigi, Jaida, and I are gonna hit up that new diner two blocks over after work, you in?” Crystal asked during a slow point in their shift. 

Priyanka sighed and looked down at the empty glasses she was clearing off from the bar. “Can’t,” she mumbled, then reluctantly added, “I told Mark I’d pick him up from the airport.” 

“I should’ve recognized that pain face,” she mused with a sympathetic nod. “Does your girlfriend know your boyfriend’s back in town?” she asked, cocking her head to the stage Lemon was dancing on. 

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Priyanka caught the defensiveness in her tone, so she tried to playfully follow it up with “she’s my _mistress_.” 

Crystal chuckled, dividing her attention between her coworker and the customers that came up to the bar. “Whatever you gotta call it. At least he’s out of town like, what, forty weeks out of the year?” 

“And yet it never feels like enough.” 

The other bartender shook her head. “Remind me again why you’re still with him.”

“He’s… my safety blanket. No one asks me too many questions if they know I’m still with him. I can be normal and not have to worry about my family disowning me,” she explained.

“Oh, right, I forgot how far in the closet you are. Which is easy to do when you consider… every other aspect of your personality.” Crystal looked over and spotted Brooke Lynn approaching with a dark-haired woman at her side. “Who’s your friend, Brooke?”

“This is Nicky, she just moved here from Paris. Had to give her the proper welcome, you know?” Brooke explained. “I ran it by Jackie, gonna have her set up in the VIP room once she picks who she wants to-”

“Her.” Nicky had only turned away for a moment when her eyes locked on one of the dancers. “I have decided. I want that one.” 

Brooke looked over, amused at the promptness in her decision. “Jan? Good choice. Crystal, set Nicky up with a cognac while I go let Jackie know to get her set up,” she explained as she got up. “If I don’t come back, assume Vanjie’s got me captive and don’t send for help.”

Priyanka watched as Brooke left. “God, that bitch has her whole life together and then some. Like, actual life goals, you know?” 

“Priyanka also aspires to be a rich businesswoman that gets to rail a stripper on the regular,” Crystal explained to Nicky as she handed her the drink. 

Nicky lifted her glass to her in approval. “Aim high, love,” she said and took a sip. “So, tell me about this girl I’ve picked, Jan, yes?” 

“Oh, Jan’s great,” Crystal told her. “She’s a real sweetheart, you know? Like, the type to accidentally make customers fall in love with her because she just radiates that warm energy. Even had to ruin the illusion by outing herself a couple of times.”

“Yeah, but that was when that guy proposed to her, remember?” Priyanka chimed in. “Nice guy, stupid as all fuck.” 

Nicky listened with amusement to the anecdotes the bartenders went on about until she spotted Jan coming her way, instantly tuning out everything around her to focus on the scantily clad woman. 

Jan smiled and held her hand out. “Follow me, I’ll take you to the VIP room.”

“Then, by all means, lead the way,” she purred and followed her as they weaved through the club, to a room behind velvet ropes. 

The room itself was designed to look even more expensive than it was with its red and gold color scheme and velvety fabrics. There was a plush couch, a table with champagne in an ice bucket, and a basket containing various sexual accessories – fuzzy handcuffs, lube, things of that nature. It was also perfectly spotless, which was easy to maintain with how rarely it was used. For the most part, it was up to the dancers to decide if they even wanted to confirm the existence of VIP rooms, let alone bring anyone into that space. 

But Jan seemed _thrilled_ to have Nicky in there with her. Especially since she knew she wouldn’t have to keep up her professional pretenses – Nicky came in with Brooke, after all. “So, I’m sure Brooke probably told you, but we make up whatever rules we want based on the client. But since this is your big American welcome present, I’m cool with following your lead.” 

“Oh, sweetie,” Nicky cupped Jan’s face. “I don’t know if you want to give me that much power. There’s just _far_ too much I’d like to do to you.”

Jan felt a chill go up her spine. The intensity of Nicky’s gaze paired with the coolness in her voice had her entranced on the spot. “Even better. Nothing’s sexier than a powerful woman.”

“As if I had any doubt on what a bottom you are,” she lightly teased as she sat down on the couch. She leaned back, admiring the beautiful woman she had all to herself. “Purple is your color,” she observed, admiring the way the violet lingerie fit her body, how it framed her perfectly while still begging to be ripped off. 

“Why thank you, it’s my favorite,” Jan hummed, making her way over and straddling Nicky’s lap. She wasn’t used to having any sort of banter on the clock. Normally, a customer’s brain would short circuit as soon as they saw her tits, and that was how she liked it – the best man was a silent man as far as she was concerned.

But even Nicky seemed to have had enough with the talking, having moved on to kissing along Jan’s neck while her hands wandered her body. Eventually, she let them rest on Jan’s ass, which she groped and slapped while the two of them made out.

Jan let out a pleased sigh against Nicky’s lips. She rolled her hips slowly at first, arching towards Nicky’s touch and threading her fingers through her hair. “God, you’re fucking gorgeous,” she murmured as she undid her new client’s top.

“So are you, angel,” Nicky purred as she unhooked Jan’s bra and let it drop to the floor. She could tell she had caught Jan a bit off guard – normally the client would never undress the stripper. But it was clear Jan didn’t take issue, so she continued, kissing down her neck and chest, between her breasts, then teasingly swiping her tongue over both nipples. While she licked and sucked at her breasts, Nicky moved her hands back down, lightly snapping Jan’s panties against her and peeling them off once Jan lifted her hips up to let her. 

It was so rare for Jan to be able to give up control at work. Her true submissive preferences were reserved exclusively for her personal life, lest anyone get the wrong idea. But Nicky had her under her thumb without even trying, and honestly, Jan found that even hotter. She wanted Nicky as badly as Nicky wanted her, and she didn’t make any attempt to hide it, going right to undressing Nicky once she was naked herself.

“So eager,” Nicky couldn’t help but call her out. “You must be so desperate to get fucked after teasing ugly men all night, hm?” She moved her hand between Jan’s thighs and traced her fingers along her slit. “You’re wet already, you little whore.” She then tapped her thigh lightly to redirect her. “On your knees,” she instructed, “you know what to do.” 

Of course she did, Jan had just been eagerly awaiting her command. She got on her knees in front of Nicky, pulling her trousers and panties down to her ankles before situating herself between her thighs. She licked a stripe up her slit, then eased her tongue in, alternating between slow and fast, deep and shallow licks and thrusts.

Nicky tilted her head back and let out a deep moan. “Fuck, good girl,” she grunted. Her hand moved to the back of Jan’s head, holding her head in place with just a bit of firmness to keep her going.

Not that Jan would’ve stopped even if her life depended on it. Every time Nicky bucked her hips up or pushed down on her head, it turned her on and encouraged her all the more. Her hands gripped onto Nicky’s waist to hold her close and not let up until she was certain she had came, then pulled back with a bright, hopeful expression. 

And Nicky knew exactly how to react, she could tell right away that Jan was the type that thrived on praise and positive reinforcement. “You did so well, babygirl,” she cooed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Get up and sit on my face, Mama’s gonna make you feel good.” 

Jan nearly tripped over herself with how quickly she scrambled to her feet. She waited for Nicky to lay down on the couch before straddling her face and gripping the arm of the couch, then let out a breathy moan when she felt Nicky’s tongue inside her. “Fuck…”

Nicky held onto Jan’s ass as she thrust her tongue steadily. She smirked to herself when she heard how desperate and needy the younger woman’s moans were. This was not going to be their last encounter, that she was certain of, and by the time she had made Jan come, she was already thinking about the next time. 

“Oh my fucking god,” Jan was still trembling when she got off of Nicky, sitting down to catch her breath. “Is that what French kissing really is?” 

“I like to think so,” Nicky chuckled, sitting up and getting dressed. “Either way, that was just the welcome I had hoped for, and I will certainly be coming back for you. I’d take you home if I could.” 

“Who’s to say you can’t?” Jan batted her lashes and twirled her hair around her finger.

### 

“You know, with the way Nicky pounced on Jan, you might not be getting her back tonight,” Brooke warned. She was sitting in Jackie’s office with Vanessa sitting on her lap, though Vanessa had more or less checked out while Brooke and Jackie caught up. 

Jackie laughed softly. “If I know Jan, and I tend to think I do, she won’t mind in the slightest,” she assured. “Though sometimes I worry you’re gonna keep bringing your friends in and pairing off all my girls.” 

“What can I say? I’ve found my niche,” she hummed. “And it’s all good as long as you keep up those profit margins, right?” 

“Oh god, are y’all just gonna talk business and shit all night?” Vanessa whined. 

Brooke arched her brow at her girlfriend. “We’re not making you stay here, babe. You can go do a set or hang out in the dressing room,” she suggested. “You know, considering this is still your job,” she added.

“You can just get Kameron to babysit her,” Jackie remarked offhandedly, oblivious to the way Vanessa had suddenly tensed and sat upright or the way she was glaring a hole into her head. 

And Brooke hadn’t picked up on it either, just coming off as confused. “Who’s Kameron? Another dancer?” 

Vanessa had started to answer. “No, she ain’t nobody, she just-”

“She’s the new security guard,” Jackie explained. “I like her, she seems nice, really funny once she warms up to you, a little quiet otherwise.”

“Is she...you know…” 

“Gay? Yeah, she a fitness dyke, I can tell,” Vanessa chimed in. 

Jackie cleared her throat awkwardly. “I mean, I didn’t want to assume.” 

Brooke arched her brow. “You, the woman who has managed to employ five lesbian strippers and two lesbian bartenders, didn’t want to assume? Like, you want us to believe that was purely coincidental and not your full intention?” While she had meant it lightheartedly, she noticed Jackie start to curl into herself. “Jackie… do you think we don’t know?”

Jackie swallowed thickly. “Vanjie, do you think you could give me a minute with Brooke?” she asked softly, then waited for Vanessa to leave before she redirected her attention to completely focus on Brooke. “I-I don’t know what you mean. What are you talking about?”

Brooke’s expression became more concerned. Her brows furrowed as she leaned closer and spoke in a hushed tone. “Do you… wait… are you not out?”

“Out of what?” she bristled, sitting upright and pointedly averting her gaze. “There’s nothing for me to be ‘out’ of. Because I’m not. I’m _not_.” 

“Jackie…” she reached out and took her hand. She knew what a delicate subject this could be, but she also knew she would be remiss if she ignored it. “If there was ever a safe space…” 

Jackie shook her head, suddenly getting up and pacing back and forth across the room. “You don’t understand. Firstly, my family, they… they just wouldn’t get it. They still think I own a restaurant.” She sighed heavily, finally stopping and leaning against her desk. “Besides, acknowledging my attraction to girls in a place like this… it’s just asking for trouble, you know? Priyanka is the only person that knows, and that’s just because she’s in the same boat.”

Brooke nodded as she listened. “But even still, Pri’s out to everyone here. You don’t have to go through this alone.” 

“Pri’s out to everyone here so she can fuck Lemon in peace,” she retorted with a dry laugh. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t thought about… like I wouldn’t…”

“You’re afraid of catching feelings for one of the girls.”

“No,” Jackie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, everything she had spent so long burying was pushing through all at once. It made her feel dizzy and nauseous and faced with the realization that telling the truth was the only thing that could relieve that sense of unease. “I’m afraid I already have.”


	2. Chapter 2

When Lemon entered the dressing room, the other girls looked up, but looked a bit confused. “Jan didn’t come in with you?” Gigi asked. 

“Jan didn’t even come home with me last night. She told me and Pri to go on without her. My guess is she pulled a Vanjie and went home with the hot business woman,” Lemon shrugged as she took her seat. 

“Hey, don’t drag my name into it,” Vanessa huffed, though she supposed she couldn’t be _that_ mad with that being her claim to fame. She was the first of the girls to date a client, and up until now, she had assumed she would be the only one.

Jan arrived a bit later, only about five minutes late, but took her seat as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Hey y’all, did I miss anything good?” 

The girls giggled. “I don’t think anything here is as good as what you been getting,” Vanessa teased. “You have Brooke’s friend speaking French between your legs all night or what?” 

A broad grin spread across Jan’s lips. “Oh, that’s only the start,” she replied. “God, you guys, I couldn’t even walk right this morning. She ruined me – I don’t think I can have sex with anyone else after her.” 

“You bottoms are so dramatic,” Gigi remarked, looking at Jan through her reflection in the mirror. 

“You’re just jealous you don’t have a bottom to ruin,” Jan retorted as she took her seat. 

“One in particular,” Jaida chimed in. 

Gigi rolled her eyes, wondering why she bothered saying anything in the first place. It’s not like Jaida or the other girls were wrong – her crush on Crystal was common knowledge among the dancers. She couldn’t help herself – when she had started working there, Crystal was the first to see through her stoic, standoffish front, something that took the average person weeks. The two of them bonded right away. 

But To her dismay, Crystal had a girlfriend when her crush first developed. Though even when that relationship ended, she still did her best to use that as an excuse for not saying anything. 

“I don’t see why you can’t talk to her. It’s been two months, it wouldn’t be a rebound,” Lemon offered. 

“You’re technically correct,” Gigi conceded, “but it’s complicated, we’ve developed such a friendship in that time…” 

“Bitch, that is the oldest excuse in the fucking book,” Vanessa retorted as she coated her brunette locks in a layer of hairspray. “Oh, we can’t date, it’ll ruin our friendship,” she mocked in a ‘white’ voice, “such a cop-out.”

Gigi frowned, strumming her nails against the vanity table. “Doesn’t make it untrue…” 

Before Vanessa could reply, Jackie was at the door. She led Crystal, Priyanka, and Kameron in, then took a deep breath. “Ladies, I wanted you all in here because I have something to tell you.” 

The girls looked at each other, murmuring with confusion and concern. Was something happening to the club? Were they in trouble? But they quickly quieted down and redirected their attention redirected to Jackie, urging her to continue. 

Jackie took a deep breath. “Alright, I suspect this might not be the biggest surprise to you, but this is still difficult for me to say because, you know, it’s something I haven’t really said in my whole thirty-five years.” She pressed her lips into a line and swallowed thickly, doing her best to keep it together. “I’ve always felt a strong kinship with you guys, and deep down, I’ve always known it’s… it’s because I’m gay.” 

The girls didn’t give Jackie time to brace herself for their reaction. Within seconds they surrounded her, hugging her tight. Sure, they had suspected it for a long time. Some of them had assumed Jackie was out but simply never mentioned it. But regardless of what they’d previously thought, all that mattered now was giving Jackie their complete, unbridled support.

And Jackie couldn’t do anything but sob. It was a sob of relief, of joy, but also of exhaustion – she had carried that weight on her chest for far too long and her lungs were desperate for the air of freedom. She knew this would only be the first time she came out, and she didn’t know when the next would be, but at least she knew she had a group of girls she could be safe with. 

“That’s okay, sweetie. Let it out,” Jan soothed as she rubbed her back. “We’re all so proud of you.” 

“The first time is always the hardest,” Jaida agreed. “You don’t gotta go tell everyone, just embracing it for yourself is enough.” 

Jackie looked up at Jaida, opening her mouth to speak, only for her throat to run dry. Instead, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thanks, you guys. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

When the group hug ended, everyone relaxed into their usual spots. “Alright, ladies,” Jackie prompted, “let’s have a great shift.”

As Crystal and Priyanka returned to the bar, they were still processing their bosses’ confession. “I’m fucking proud of Jackie,” Priyanka was saying. “I almost peed myself when I came out to y’all.” 

“Weren’t you already sleeping with Lemon when you came out to us?” Crystal asked as she continued getting her station ready. 

Despite a tinge of embarrassment, Priyanka laughed. “Only like, three times,” she defended. Even though she hadn’t been out when she started working there, she had quickly found out that Lemon had no idea how not to be out, nor did she know how to be subtle. Priyanka had realized she had to choose between staying closeted at work and pursuing her budding affair, and the choice was obvious to her. 

“Three more than some of us,” Crystal murmured under her breath.

Priyanka scoffed. “Bitch, if you’re still carrying a torch for Gigi, why don’t you fucking tell her already? It’s not the world’s biggest secret, you know. We all figured it out,” she said, then paused for a moment, “well, except her.” 

“Therein lies the problem,” she lamented. “It’d be easier if I knew that she only saw us as friends, then I could let it go. But there’s always this… underlying sexual tension between us. I don’t know. I’m confused.”

“Underlying sexual tension?” Priyanka’s brows rose. “She’s the only one of the girls that doesn’t put her bra back on when she comes to get a drink from you… well, neither does Vanjie, sometimes, but the bitch is just forgetful.”

Crystal chuckled softly. “Either that or she’s swinging by the security booth. Did you hear her tell Jaida she was gonna broach the ‘open relationship’ subject with Brooke, like, soon?”

“No, but I think it’s a good idea. Nip it in the bud before things get messy, huh?” 

“Why, because it’s too late for you?”

Priyanka opened her mouth to speak, then pressed her lips together. “I… yeah, pretty much. I’ve accepted my life’s chaos, though.”

### 

When Brooke Lynn wasn’t visiting the club as a client, she was often there as both a supportive girlfriend and pseudo-manager for Vanessa. She held herself in a confident, professional way that allowed her to walk right through the front door and into the back where the dressing room was without anyone looking twice, let alone question it. 

Vanessa looked up when Brooke walked in and smiled, ignoring the way her chest tightened. “Hey, boo,” she greeted, getting up to give her a quick hug and kiss. “I’m glad you’re here, I been meaning to talk to you.”

“Oh, good,” Brooke nodded as she sat in one of the empty chairs. “I wanted to talk to you too. Do you want to go first?”

Normally, Vanessa would’ve automatically jumped on the opportunity to go first. But her nerves were still twisting up her insides and she figured she could calm herself down while her girlfriend spoke. “No, it’s fine, go ahead.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and all things considered…” she took a deep breath, “I think it would be a good idea for you to move in with me.”

“Yeah!” Vanessa’s nerves were instantly replaced with excitement – she loved the idea of getting to move in with Brooke, they had gotten so close despite their relatively short relationship. She was there most of the time anyway, and it made her own apartment look like a prison cell in comparison. And it didn’t hurt that she wouldn’t have to deal with rent or a landlord anymore. “I love you, B, I think that’s a great idea.” 

Brooke brightened up. “Really? Awesome, we can get started on that whenever, really. Most of your stuff is at my place or here anyway. What did you want to tell me?” 

Vanessa deflated a bit, reconsidering the whole idea. Of course she was still attracted to Kameron and didn’t plan on throwing out the ‘open relationship’ idea entirely. The timing, however, felt off. Inappropriate. Cold, even. “You know what? It ain’t nothing important, it can wait.” 

“Are you sure? If something’s wrong, you can tell me, I want to know.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Vanessa looked her in the eye so Brooke could tell she was being honest. “It just isn’t worth bringing up right now, I’d rather focus on this moving gig.” 

Although Brooke wasn’t entirely convinced, she decided to let it go for the time being. “Alright. I’m gonna go grab a drink and let you finish getting ready,” she got up and kissed her cheek before heading back into the main room.

Vanessa ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled deeply. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. “Well, that got fucked up,” she muttered.

“You good, girl?” Lemon asked as she took her usual seat. “Usually you have a smug grin on when Brooke leaves the dressing room. The open relationship thing didn’t go over well?”

“It didn’t go at all,” she answered. “I was gonna, but then she asked me to move in with her… and I fucking love her, of course I wanna take that next step. But I couldn’t just jump from there to that just ‘cause I can’t stop thinking about getting fucked by Kameron.”

Lemon nodded and listened, fixing her hair and makeup in the mirror as well. “I mean, I can’t exactly be a moral compass here, but I get your concern. You guys haven’t done anything yet, have you?”

“Nothin’, just some flirting and shit. All hands-free. And mouths-free,” she confirmed. “You know I’d never wanna do something to hurt Brooke. Been on the other side of it before, shit sucks.” 

“You guys love each other,” Lemon reassured. “I’m sure you’ve built up the trust to have that sort of honest conversation.” Under her breath, she added “must be nice.” 

Vanessa didn’t catch it. “Guess you’re right, it’ll work out eventually,” she decided. 

“Atta girl,” Lemon patted her shoulder as she got up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got my nightly home wrecking to do.” 

Vanessa looked up as Lemon left, only to make eye contact with Brooke, who was standing in the doorway with a glass in each hand. “How long you been standing there?” she asked hesitantly. 

Brooke walked in and sat in the same chair she’d been in before, setting one glass on the counter and holding onto the other one. “So… Kameron, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised. She’s beautiful and you do have a type.”

She furrowed her brows, unsure of how to process Brooke’s reaction. “You’re not mad? You don’t even look pissed or nothing.”

“Well, no offense babe, but with your line of work, I’ve already wrapped my head around the idea of having to share you. Sure, it’s a little different comparing clients to someone you’re actually interested in, but I can’t fathom it being that bad,” she explained. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll pick up a cute little side piece while you two are going at it.”

Even with the explanation, Vanessa was still perplexed. But she was getting her way, so she supposed she couldn’t really complain. “You still want me to move in though, right?”

“Of course I do,” Brooke answered without hesitation. “This doesn’t change how I feel about you or about us. We’ll try the open thing out, see how we feel, and take it from there.”

Vanessa finally allowed herself to relax. “Alright, yeah, sounds good to me.”

“Good,” Brooke hummed and finished her drink off. “I’ll see you later,” she said, giving Vanessa a kiss before she left again. But this time, instead of going back into the main room, she went out the back door. She fished a cigarette and lighter out of her purse and lit it, then leaned against the wall as she took a drag. 

“Thought you were trying to quit,” Gigi remarked. She had been outside for a few minutes, wrapped in a long, black robe with a lit joint held between two fingers. 

Brooke exhaled, smoke blowing through her mouth. “Well, I just gave my girlfriend permission to fuck the security guard, so I’m having a cheat day.” 

Gigi furrowed her brows as she took another drag. “Kameron? Why’d you do that then?” 

“Because I love her and trust her but at the same time, I’d rather know what she’s up to instead of her lusting after another woman behind my back. Also we’re moving in together. It’s been an eventful night. So… open relationship it is.” 

“Look at it this way, you’ll probably be fucking more once you live together, maybe it’ll wear her out,” Gigi offered.

Brooke laughed softly. “That isn’t as reassuring as you think it is, Geege.”

“At least you’re getting some.”

“No progress with Crystal, I take it?” Brooke asked, then dropped her spent cigarette on the ground and put it out with her shoe. 

Gigi shook her head. “And with this gig plus school, I haven’t had time to find some distraction sex. You know how it is, right? When your brain gets stuck on something and the only way to dislodge it is by railing a pretty girl?”

“Yes, I remember being twenty-two. First time I got my heart broken by a straight girl,” she recalled. She looked at Gigi with a fond smile. She saw a lot of herself in the dancer, felt something of a kindred spirit. “Let me get a hit of that, wanna see why Vanjie loves that shit so much.” 

Gigi covered her mouth with her free hand to giggle. “Sure, go nuts,” she said and passed the joint to her. She lingered close to Brooke, watching her curiously.

Brooke took a drag the same way she would off a cigarette. While it felt the same physically, she did prefer the way the weed made her feel. “Hm, yeah, I get it,” she said as she passed it back to Gigi. But as she did, there was a moment where their eyes met, where their shared loneliness, with sex on their minds. They started to lean closer, their lips parting… 

“Nope,” they said in unison, pulling back and laughing.

### 

Once the club had closed for the night, Lemon was sitting up on the bar while Priyanka was cleaning up. “You coming home with me tonight, Pri?” she asked, batting her lashes and swinging her legs. 

“Can’t,” Priyanka sighed. “I promised Mark I’d watch some stupid fucking documentary with him when I got home,” she rolled her eyes.

“Who cares about him?” Lemon whined. “We haven’t had sex in like, almost two whole days. I’m literally dying.” 

Priyanka finished her task then came around the bar, trapping Lemon between her arms as she held onto the bar. “You are the neediest bitch I have ever met. You know that, right?” Despite her ‘scolding’, she started kissing Lemon's neck. 

And of course, Lemon was happy with any small victory. “I think you like it, though. I think you get off on being needed, on knowing that I’m thinking of you when I need to be sexy on stage.” 

“Do you really?” Priyanka asked. “Do you think about how good I fuck you while your shaking your ass for a crowd?” she asked, moving one of her hands between Lemon’s thighs. “Let it get you all worked up and let them think you’re just really into your job?”

Lemon’s legs instantly spread when Priyanka’s hand slipped between her thighs. Even though she didn’t like feeding Priyanka’s ego, she couldn’t pretend the dirty talk didn’t affect her. “Mm, of course I do, easy when no one makes me come like you do.” 

“Good girl,” Priyanka praised, then rewarded her by slipping two fingers inside of Lemon’s panties, then slowly easing them into her pussy one after the other. “Look at you, already wet. You really were just thinking about getting fucked, weren’t you?” 

“Fuck…” Lemon breathed out, bucking against Priyanka’s fingers, trying to writhe in time with her thrusts. “I was, couldn’t help it.” 

Priyanka smirked, kissing up Lemon’s neck, then along her jaw and the shell of her ear. “My needy little whore,” she cooed as she fucked her harder and faster. 

Considering most of their coworkers hadn’t left either, Lemon did make an attempt to stay quiet. She bit down on her lip, just whimpering as she rocked against her fingers. 

But Priyanka didn’t make it easy on her. She curled and twisted her fingers, knowing every which way to make Lemon squirm and whine. She kept it up, fucking Lemon through her orgasm and even a bit after that. She then eased her fingers out and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Think you’ll make it through the night now, you insufferable baby?” 

Lemon rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll survive,” she giggled as she hopped down from the bar. “I’m gonna go get changed, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She wrapped her arms around Priyanka’s waist, gazing up at her and stealing another kiss before leaving. 

“You better wipe that bar down thoroughly,” Crystal remarked when she returned from the kitchen. 

Priyanka groaned. “Ah, fuck, forgot you were here.” 

She shrugged. “Didn’t wanna interrupt. But seriously, clean that shit up.”


	3. Chapter 3

Jackie closed her eyes as she let her head sink into the pile of pillows on her bed. She exhaled softly as her hand moved down her body and slid into her cotton shorts. _Relax_. She tried to calm herself down to ease the tenseness in her body. _You’ve done this hundreds of times_. With nothing short of sheer willpower, she got herself to relax and press two fingers against her clit, rubbing in small circles.

A soft, pleased sigh slipped out, her body giving her the encouragement her mind withheld. She rubbed faster, pressed harder. In the past, she refused to let herself think about anything while she touched herself, or would find some heterosexual porn that she could stomach. But she was out now. She could think about girls. She _wanted_ to think about girls. 

Thinking about girls, however, only stayed in a generic sense for a few moments. Then her mind wandered to one in particular and before she could reel herself in, Jackie had a clear image in her mind. 

_Jaida_. 

Normally, Jackie would’ve stopped herself right there. Thinking about an employee in a sexual nature was wrong under any circumstance as far as she was concerned. But her arousal sparked an internal argument. “Just this once,” she decided, “just to get it out of my system.” 

Jackie had seen Jaida on stage several times – she watched all of the girls, at least to audition them, then occasionally she’d watch them during a shift to see how they were doing. But it was always strictly business – she could appreciate the aesthetics of her girls without getting hot and bothered, or at least, not a distracting amount. But she’d always been especially attracted to Jaida, there were times when she couldn’t focus on a conversation between them because Jaida would still be half-naked and Jackie would be focusing all of her energy on maintaining eye contact. 

“Fuck, Jaida…” Once Jackie had started, there was no turning back. Images of the other woman were burned into her mind, she couldn’t think of anything else if she tried. So, she embraced it, moaning as she alternated between rubbing her clit and fingering herself. It was more heightened, more intense, her body felt hot all over. And when she came, it was harder than she ever had before, her hips still twitching moments after she had finished. 

She rolled onto her side, looking at her reflection in her mirrored closet door. The room was dark, but she was illuminated by moonlight. “Jesus, what are you Jackie, sixteen?” she chastised herself, the reality of her touching herself to someone she considered a friend hitting her then. She sighed, reminding herself that no one would ever find out about it, especially not Jaida.

### 

“I want to ask you something,” Nicky said while she and Brooke Lynn were out for lunch. “When did you decide that you wanted to date Vanessa, instead of just hooking up with her?” 

Brooke furrowed her brows and tilted her head as she thought. “It wasn’t right away, not because of her, but because I’m a creature of habit. We were sleeping together, I would slide her some extra money, it was just the system we had. I’m just lucky she wasn’t afraid to tell me how she felt because I’ve never been good with that sort of thing.” 

Nicky looked a bit taken back. “She asked you out?” she asked, then paused. “That shouldn’t surprise me, actually. She seems like the type of girl that knows what she wants.” 

“I’m glad she’s assertive,” she nodded. “People think she’s my sugar baby, but she’s not. She’s my girlfriend – she was fine before me and she’d be fine without me, we just prefer to be even better together. But anyway, why do you ask? Does this have to do with Jan?” 

“Well… yes,” Nicky nodded. “We’ve been having sex nonstop for over a week and… I don’t know, what’s that brain chemical that comes out during sex? That makes you feel feelings?”

Brooke scratched her head. “Oxytocin?” 

“Yeah, that,” she nodded. “I don’t know if it’s that, or if I have romantic feelings for her, but something is there. Something good is there.” 

It brought a warm smile to Brooke’s face to hear how Nicky talked about Jan. It did remind her of herself when she started to realize she was starting to develop feelings for Vanessa. It was cute, in a way. “I can’t stress this enough – you need to communicate. Communication has been the ultimate saving grace, especially now with this whole Kameron thing.”

Nicky nodded. “You have a good point. How is the Kameron thing going anyway?” 

Brooke pressed her lips together and strummed her fingers against the table. “It’s going alright. I mean, I trust Vanjie implicitly, so I don’t need to hear the details.” 

“Have you considered getting to know her? Maybe you guys could be friends, avoid the awkward.” 

She shrugged. The idea of befriending the woman her girlfriend was sleeping with seemed odd at best, but at the same time, she supposed it wasn’t the worst idea. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Right now, I think we just need to focus on moving her in.” And with that, she got up. “The movers are on their way, I’m gonna meet them and Vanjie at the apartment.” 

Despite Vanessa’s insistence that she could move in on her own, Brooke had taken the liberty of hiring a moving company to get everything from her apartment to what would now be their penthouse. 

“You are so fucking extra,” Vanessa chuckled as she watched two men carry boxes from the moving van into the elevator. “I don’t even got that much shit, we could’ve done this in an hour or two.” 

“I know, but if we can make it easier, why not?” Brooke hummed, tipping the movers once the last of the boxes were upstairs. “Don’t worry, it’s still on us to unpack,” she assured with a laugh. She looked around her living room, now occupied with about seven boxes of Vanessa’s things. “Where do we begin, anyway?” 

Vanessa chuckled. “You never had to unpack after a move before?” 

Brooke shrugged, starting on one of the boxes. “It’s been a minute.” They unpacked quietly for a few minutes before she cleared her throat. “So, um, Nicky suggested I reach out to Kameron, maybe try to befriend her. I was considering it, but I wanted to know how you felt about that before I did anything.” 

It wasn’t something that had occurred to Vanessa, catching her off guard for a moment. “I mean… I don’t got an issue with it. I think you guys would get along. Y’all are both pretty chill, kinda dorky in a way no one expects because you’re both so hot.”

Brooke grinned and looked down. “You sure know how to talk someone up, baby. I do think I’ll reach out to her, though. Couldn’t hurt.”

### 

“Silk looks so good on you,” Nicky observed, watching Jan pose in front of the standing mirror in a black silk robe that came down just past her ass. All of her clothes were a bit smaller on Jan’s more curvy frame, which was undoubtedly why she loved letting her rummage through her wardrobe and try on what she liked. 

Jan smiled and gave a bit of a twirl. “It feels nice too. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to normal bed sheets after rolling around in yours,” she mused with a light laugh. Once she tore her eyes from her reflection, her eyes casually scanned Nicky’s dresser. “You like diamonds an awful lot, don’t you?” 

Nicky chuckled softly, getting out of bed and walking up behind her. “What’s not to like?” She picked up one of the necklaces and carefully, delicately put it on Jan. “See? Doesn’t it just make you feel radiant?” 

“God, it’s like I’m in _Pretty Woman_ ,” she remarked as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

While Jan laughed off her own comment, Nicky’s brows furrowed and she turned Jan around to face her. “Is that how you see yourself? Is that… how you see me?” 

Jan tilted her head, taking on a more serious expression. “Do I see myself as an under-educated, low-ranking woman who needs someone rich to teach me how to behave and save me from a destitute lifestyle? Do I see you as a corporate asshole that doesn’t understand empathy or compassion? No, of course not.” She paused for a breath, relaxing a bit. “But do I see myself as a sex worker that doesn’t get to wear expensive clothes and jewelry and you as someone that has grown accustomed to their privilege? Yes. But I don’t think any of that is bad.”

Nicky gently cupped Jan’s cheek, stroking her thumb across her skin. “I do not want you to think I think less of you, or that I am trying to save you from being a stripper.” 

“Good,” she smiled and put her hand on top of Nicky’s. “Because I don’t need saving. I’m here because I like you. I like how I feel when I’m with you.”

A wave of relief washed over Nicky. She had been so afraid that she had made Jan feel used or less than in any way. The more she thought about it, she realized she would have tried to pursue Jan regardless of where she met her. It just happened to be that the way they met allowed them to bypass certain courtship rituals, ones Nicky never liked to bother with anyway. “I like you too. Not just because of the sex, you bring this… energy into my life that has never been there before. But it makes everything better.” 

“I think this is the part where you ask me to be your girlfriend,” Jan gently prompted after a beat of silence. 

Nicky smiled and looked down, then back up at her. “Can I assume the answer is yes?” 

She laughed and kissed her sweetly. “Of course.”

### 

While the club was closed during the day, Jackie often found herself there for one reason or another. And, in turn, the employees knew there was a likely chance she would be there, should they need to find her. Jaida waved at the security camera, knowing that if Jackie were there, she’d see her from the screen in the back office. 

Sure enough, Jackie let her in not a minute later. “Hey, what’s up?” 

“I just got a quick question,” Jaida explained. Sure, it easily could’ve been done over text, but that was beside the point. “I been thinking about starting an OnlyFans page and I wanted to know if that was a conflict of interest.”

Jackie quickly shook her head. “Not at all, I admire your business mindset,” she assured, then checked her phone. “Hey, if you’re not busy, I’m about to start the auditions for new girls. Do you wanna stick around? It’d be great to have another set of eyes, and I trust your judgment.”

Jaida looked surprised but flattered. “I don’t have any plans, I’m down,” she nodded. “So what’s up? Is it just us watching them perform or is there an interview?” 

“We’re just watching performances, for now, then we’ll decide who moves forward with an interview. That part’s boring, so I’ll handle it,” she assured as they sat and waited for the potential dancers to come in. 

The first four girls came and went quickly, Jackie scribbled notes during most of each performance, while Jaida would make a few succinct ones at the end. “You ain’t hiring any of these straight girls are you?” she asked with a light laugh.

Jackie scoffed, her cheeks flushing red. “Jaida, I would never discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. I just don’t think any of them would fit in here.”

Jaida rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Anyway I’m on this next girl’s Instagram and she got the rainbow flag emoji in her bio, so she’s got that going for her,” she scrolled through the pictures, “she got a fat ass too.” 

“How do you know it’s her?”

She quirked a brow as if she were unable to process how someone as smart as Jackie could ask such a stupid question. “How many girls named fucking ‘Denali’ do you think there are?”

Jackie put her hands up in surrender. “Fair enough,” she acquiesced, then looked up when she heard the door open and a woman made her way over to them. “You must be Denali, right? You can go ahead and head up onto the stage for your routine if you’re ready,” she said in the calm, kind voice she used with all the potential dancers.

Even before Denali started dancing, both Jackie and Jaida noticed her stage presence. The way she stood and held herself conveyed confidence that they knew would translate well into any stripping routine. And when she did perform, they were captivated. It was clear that Denali was a dancer, that she knew her body and what to do with it. It was the only performance so far that they fully applauded her when she had finished. 

“So,” Denali prompted as she redressed. “Should I expect a call back soon?”

### 

“Guys!” Jan prompted cheerily as the rest of the dancers were getting changed after the shift, “we need to take Denali out to celebrate her first shift! Let’s go to Patty’s, my treat.”

“Your sugar mommy give you an allowance?” Gigi teased.

Jan huffed and rolled her eyes. “She’s not my sugar mommy, she’s my girlfriend. And no… she gave me a credit card. It’s much more responsibility because I’m a big girl. So do you wanna go or not?” 

“Oh yeah no, I’m in,” Gigi readily assured. “Are you extending the invitation to the bartenders?”

“If you want Crystal to come, you gotta ask her yourself. We’re not facilitating this shit anymore,” Jaida cut in. “And we already know Pri would follow Lemon to the ends of the Earth anyway, so she’s covered.” 

Gigi accepted her fate and left the dressing room to find Crystal while Lemon attempted to pick an argument with Jaida in her wake. “Hey, Crys, you busy?”

Crystal looked up at Gigi. “Honestly, I spaced out and have been cleaning the same glass for the past five minutes, so no. What’s up?”

“We’re going out to Miss Patty’s to like, indoctrinate Denali into our little cult or whatever. You want in? Nicky gave Jan a credit card, so we have a solid week before the inevitable regret sets in. 

“Is there gonna be a blood oath? Because in that case, I’m definitely in. If not, I’ll settle for a slice of apple pie,” Crystal decided, grinning at the way her comments made Gigi laugh. It was the specific laugh she aimed for, where she would instinctively duck her head away in case she snorted, it filled Crystal with a sense of pride, and something else she couldn’t quite articulate. 

And luckily she wouldn’t have to, as Priyanka came back from the kitchen mere seconds later. “Who’s taking a blood oath? I want in.”

By the time they made it to Miss Patty’s Diner, it was after two in the morning. While it was often a shift most waitstaff would avoid, the girls’ favorite waitress was genuinely happy to see them, and would even volunteer for the late-night shift in the 24-hour fifties-themed restaurant. 

“How was the club, ladies?” Rosé asked, her notepad and pencil already in hand. “Business as usual? No one got kicked out for jerking off?” 

“No code whites tonight, mama,” Jan replied with a light laugh. “But, we do have a new dancer with us, so we’re all out to give her a proper welcome,” she then turned to Denali, “Denali, this is Rosé. She’s the best, we won’t come here if she’s not working.” 

Denali was barely listening to Jan, her eyes fixed squarely on the waitress, absentmindedly twirling her hair around her finger. “So nice to meet you.”

Rosé smirked, looking her over. “You too.” Though as she got a better look, her brows furrowed. “You look familiar…”

She let out a soft laugh as if it was a familiar remark to her. But she also appeared to bite her tongue and hold back. “You don’t say,” she hummed. “You spend any time in Chicago?” 

“Not that I can recall. Give me some time, I’ll piece it together,” Rosé assured, then took down everyone’s order.

Once the group was alone, Jan could barely contain her enthusiasm. “Oh my god, I’ve never seen her act like that before. Denali, she was fucking into you, like, hardcore,” she clapped her hands together, nearly bouncing in her seat. “Wouldn’t they be cute together?” she asked the rest of the table, determined to prove she wasn’t the only one that picked up on the sexual tension. 

“There was eye-fucking,” Lemon confirmed. “And it was reciprocal – you seemed really into her,” she said to Denali.

Denali was unbothered by the accusations. “She’s hot. And she looks like she’s kind of mean, but still approachable and low-key goofy. Which is my type to a T, basically,” she explained with a shrug. 

“Where do you think she knows you from?” Crystal asked.

This time, Denali wasn’t as quick to answer. She wanted to see if Rosé would figure it out for herself, rather than having one of the girls spoil it. Though, given the circumstances, the answer wasn’t especially shocking. “Who’s to say?” 

The conversation veered off into various other topics after that, and the rest of the meal went on without incident. But as they were leaving, Denali pulled Jaida aside. “Hey, you were talking about making an OnlyFans, right? Well, listen, being a cam girl has been my main gig for a while. I could help you get set up, figure out all the technical shit.”

Jaida nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great,” she said, then tilted her head. “You think that’s where Rosé recognized you from?”

“Probably. But I always wear a blonde wig. So, keep it on the down-low, I wanna see how long it takes for her to figure out.” What was the fun in moving to a new city if she couldn’t play a few games with someone that piqued her interest?


End file.
